Many years ago, when I began my career in network marketing, I developed a routine with the folks who were hosting the home art shows I was doing.

I would make four "coaching calls" to the hosts and hostesses each month to assist them in planning their shows, creating their invitation lists, assisting them in explaining to others what the show was about, and making sure they had a huge turnout and that the show was fun, easy, and successful for them. I became number one in that company, with the highest show attendance and at-show sales and incredible repeat host/hostess rates.

You
already have great coaching within you, or you wouldn't have been drawn
to network marketing, which by definition means supporting other people
to be successful.

I began to realize that the secret to my success was in the coaching, so I started to train all the art consultants in the company in my process. I then decided that if I wanted to have a large and successful team working with me, I would use coaching to develop those people - to assist them in creating their success, gaining confidence and learning the easy and profitable ways to enjoy network marketing. I started coaching everyone. Many years later, I found myself actually becoming a professional, master certified coach.

My passion in coaching others is to help them create the dreams, vision, life and income they really desire - and to do so with ease and joy. Network marketing is my background, and I fully understand how to be successful in network marketing. I also know how to assist others to be successful in sharing services, products, opportunities, and income with people in their network.

I am going to share with you here the ways you can use your natural coaching skills to create your own network marketing success story. I want to be sure that you get the central message: you are a coach! You already have great coaching within you, or you wouldn't have been drawn to network marketing, which by definition means supporting other people to be successful. You have the foundation; now it's time to create your own special art form of coaching and consciously use your coaching tools.

Coaches ask people to take action, make commitments and do what they are not comfortable doing, so they can grow outside their comfort zone. They make the request with no attachment to the other person accepting or acting upon the request.

1. Connectedness

Coaches know all human beings are connected in some way and are made of the same stuff. They look for connections to others: co-workers, family, friends, colleagues, associates, neighbors - everyone.

2. Tuning In

Coaches really hear other people when they speak and fully listen to both the words and what is underneath the words. They have deep respect and compassion; they want to stand with other people and are more concerned about being interested than interesting.

3. Greatness

Coaches see the great qualities, abilities, natural skills and talents in others; they let others know what they see and that they appreciate these gifts.

4. The Critical Gap

Coaches can see and feel where a person has a gap in her belief, feelings or actions, they can support people to move through the gap, to get to the other side where they desire to be.

5. Powerful Questions

Coaches ask people questions that get to the heart of what is blocking them.

6. Powerful Observations

Coaches make statements that are thought-provoking and cause others to think, ponder and consider newly-inspired thoughts.

7. Powerful Requests

Coaches ask people to take action, make commitments and do what they are not comfortable doing, so they can grow outside their comfort zone. They make the request with no attachment to the other person accepting or acting upon the request.

8. What Is Working?

Coaches focus their own thoughts and conversations on things they notice and feel are going right; they spend time and energy noticing what is working.

Tuning in means setting aside your own agenda to fully hear what others are saying by hearing their words, tone, and feelings and noticing their body language. It
is being an ear to fully embrace the words that others are sharing from a deep place of caring. It isn't about talking, responding, and giving information.

9. Help Others Evolve

Coaches evolve others to grow by assisting them to envision their goals - to see, feel, hear, touch, taste and believe in their goals; they hold a bigger vision than the other person can yet see.

10. Truth

Coaches speak the truth. They speak from their hearts and communicate with honesty, integrity, and respect, and even say things that the other person might not like to hear. They act as the mirror for the other person - without judgment.

To create amazing success in your network marketing business, start thinking more like a coach and applying these tools. I'll be your coach now and assist you in using the ten secrets listed above.

Connectedness

Can you feel a connection to others? I mean, really feel it? Do you have a true and strong desire to share with others, be with others, give to others, to learn from and accept others? If you are going to achieve your ultimate network marketing dreams, you've got to be juiced by the connections you feel with other people. Not your product, service, or opportunity...people to people comes first.

As you think about relating to other people, can you find a way to be with them without any focus on your agenda, or your outcome, or what you think they should or could do? You must suspend your ego to really connect with people on a heart-to-heart level.

Tuning In

As you listen to other people and engage in conversations, notice how much you speak, versus how much you listen. Are you busy talking about yourself, your success, the opportunity, etc?

Tuning in means setting aside your own agenda to fully hear what others are saying by hearing their words, tone, and feelings and noticing their body language. It is being an ear to fully embrace the words that others are sharing from a deep place of caring. It isn't about talking, responding, and giving information.

Greatness

When you listen, can you find the skills, talents, values, and other greatness in others, even if it doesn't match your own skills and values? When you hear things that you don't agree with, can you allow them to be, without having a lot of emotional charge about them? Can you put your focus on finding gifts in others?

We are all great - just in different ways. Dig for greatness everywhere, and acknowledge people for their greatness all the time in a sincere way.

Help people see evidence of what is going right; assist them to stop noticing what isn't there yet, or what
hasn't happened. What we focus on is what we create, so why focus on what isn't here or what is wrong?

The Critical Gap

As you listen to people, observe where they have a gap. Where does what they say they want not fit with what they currently have? If they say they want to be home with the family more, own a boat, vacation more, and determine their own pay, and right now they don't have any of those things, there is a gap. Gaps can be in anything from resources, time and money, to vision, love, respect and freedom. Notice the gaps in those you connect with and assist them to see their gaps in a loving, gentle, honest way.

Powerful Questions, Observations and Requests

Powerful questions, observations, and requests are the strongest coaching tools you have. Many people ask questions to which they already know the answers or questions whose answers they really aren't interested in knowing. Ask questions and really listen to the answers.

Share what you see in others because you want to stop them and make them think. Then make requests that move them forward, that ask more of them than they would normally ask of themselves. Allow them to accept, reject, or negotiate the request.

What Is Working?

Help people look at what is going right by asking them about and sharing your observations about what is working - no matter how small it might feel. Help people see evidence of what is going right; help them to stop noticing what isn't there yet, or what hasn't happened. What we focus on is what we create, so why focus on what isn't here or what is wrong? We can choose to think about what is going right and create more success - it is a choice!

Help Others Evolve

Evolving others is the way to assist others in creating their own vision, their goals, and then holding that vision with them, even when they aren't seeing progress in achieving their vision. If you hold a strong belief in other people, that helps them amp up their belief in themselves.

Powerful questions,
observations, and requests are the strongest coaching tools you have. Ask
questions; share what you see; then make requests that move them forward, that ask more of them than they would normally ask of themselves.

Truth

When you speak, always come from a truthful place. Don't hold back, don't worry about saying the wrong thing, and trust that when you share what you believe is true, others will take that in and grow. You are sharing what your inner voice, your heart, intuition or inner coach knows needs to be said. When you speak the truth, this also allows others to find their own truth.

These ten coaching skills are what enabled me to create a super success in network marketing. When I coach network marketers to use these skills in their day-to-day experience, to really live and breathe them, they also create greater networks, greater wealth, and greater joy.

You are a coach! Go use your tools and assist others in learning the same tools. Support them in using their coaching skills and you will create magic. Get out there and coach!

Terri Levine(www.CoachingInstruction.com)
is president of Comprehensive Coaching U,
a certified personal and business coach,
and author of Work Yourself Happy and
Coaching for an Extraordinary Life.